No Room in the Inn: Is There Room in Your Heart?

No Room in the Inn: The Long-Awaited Arrival

The moment had finally come. The long-promised Messiah, prophesied for hundreds of years, anticipated by generations who watched and waited—He was about to enter the world. This was the fulfillment of Isaiah’s vision, the answer to centuries of prayer, the hope we’ve been waiting for. The faithful promise keeper was keeping His word. Heaven was breaking silence after four hundred years.

Given the magnitude of this moment, we might expect God to orchestrate a birth befitting a King. The people certainly anticipated deliverance from Rome, so this must mean He would be born in a palace, adored by all, celebrated by the powerful, welcomed with fanfare and honor. But Luke records a detail that changes everything: “There was no room in the inn.”

No room. The King of kings, the Creator of the universe, the Light coming into darkness—and there was no room for Him. This wasn’t an administrative oversight or unfortunate timing. This was humanity’s first response to God’s greatest gift. When love came down from heaven, earth’s doors were closed.

The Humble Welcome

No one, save Mary and Joseph, were present for the birth of the Almighty King. No princes or kings came to pay their respects at that moment. No dignitaries honored His arrival. No crowds gathered to celebrate. The throne room of heaven emptied as the unexpected Messiah entered the world, but the palaces of earth remained oblivious and unconcerned.

It was lowly shepherds who heard of His birth and were the first to worship (Luke 2:8-20). Not the religious elite in Jerusalem. Not the Roman rulers in their courts. Not the wealthy merchants in their estates. Shepherds—society’s outcasts, men considered ceremonially unclean, those who couldn’t even testify in court because of their low social status. These were the ones who made room for Jesus.

Jesus came humbly to this world to present the greatest gift of all time: eternal life through the pardoning by His blood (1 Peter 1:18-19). He didn’t demand recognition or require royal treatment. He simply came, willing to be born wherever there was room, content to be welcomed by whoever would receive Him. The humility of His arrival matched the humility of His mission—not to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45).

The Question That Remains

Two thousand years later, the question remains: Do you have room in your heart for the gift Jesus is trying to give you? The innkeeper’s situation has become everyone’s spiritual reality. When Jesus comes to you—through His Word, through the conviction of the Holy Spirit, through circumstances that draw your attention to Him—does He find the doors wide open, ready to receive Him in your life? Or will He find the doors of your heart tightly shut, leaving Him unwanted and His gift of salvation and eternal life rejected?

Consider what the innkeeper missed. He turned away the Son of God, not out of malice but out of preoccupation. The inn was full. There were paying customers to serve, business to conduct, countless demands on his attention. He didn’t reject Jesus out of hatred—he simply had no room. His life was already full of other things.

How many people today make the same mistake? Not hostile to Jesus, just too busy for Him. Not actively rejecting salvation, just too preoccupied to seriously consider it. Not opposed to eternal life, just too focused on temporal concerns to make room for it. The inn of their hearts is full—crammed with career ambitions, relationship pursuits, entertainment options, financial goals, personal agendas. And when Jesus comes offering the greatest gift imaginable, they respond with the same words: “No room.”

What the Israelites Missed

The Israelites at that moment did not understand their greatest need was a Savior from their enslavement to sin (John 8:34). They wanted political deliverance but needed spiritual redemption. They anticipated a conquering king but needed a suffering servant. They expected someone to overthrow Rome but received someone to overcome sin and death. Because they misunderstood their true condition, they couldn’t recognize the solution standing right in front of them.

This is still humanity’s fundamental problem. We think we need comfort, success, health, security, fulfillment—and we organize our lives around pursuing these things. We fill our hearts with whatever we believe will satisfy us. Meanwhile, Jesus stands at the door offering what we actually need: forgiveness of sins, reconciliation with God, freedom from guilt and shame, eternal life, and the only relationship that will truly satisfy our souls (John 10:10).

The tragedy isn’t just that there was no room in the inn. The tragedy is that so many people go through their entire lives with no room in their hearts for Jesus—not because they consciously reject Him, but because they never realize He’s what they’ve been looking for all along. They spend their lives filling the inn with things that don’t ultimately matter while leaving no room for the One who matters most.

Making Room Today

Will you realize your need and invite Jesus in? This is the most important question you’ll ever answer. Not “Do you understand all the theology?” or “Have you achieved moral perfection?” but simply, “Is there room in your heart for Jesus?”

Making room means acknowledging your need. It means recognizing that you’re enslaved to sin and cannot free yourself (Romans 7:24). It means admitting that your best efforts fall short of God’s holiness and you need a Savior (Romans 3:23). It means understanding that eternal life is a gift you receive, not a reward you earn (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Making room also means removing whatever is occupying the space Jesus should fill. What has crowded Him out? What demands all your attention, all your energy, all your devotion? What have you filled your heart with instead of Him? Jesus doesn’t force His way in. He stands at the door and knocks, waiting for you to open (Revelation 3:20). But He won’t share the throne of your heart with other gods or compete for space with lesser loves.

The beautiful truth is this: when you make room for Jesus, you discover He brings everything else you actually need with Him. “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:33). The life He offers isn’t restrictive—it’s abundant. The gift He brings isn’t burdensome—it’s liberating. The salvation He provides isn’t just fire insurance for eternity—it’s transformation for today.

The Inn Still Has No Room

There was no room in the inn that night in Bethlehem, so Jesus was born in a stable and laid in a feeding trough. The world’s rejection didn’t stop God’s plan—it revealed humanity’s condition. We are so full of ourselves, so preoccupied with our agendas, so distracted by temporary things that we have no room for the eternal God who loves us and wants to save us.

But here’s the good news: unlike the innkeeper, you still have time to make room. Jesus is still standing at the door. The gift is still being offered. The invitation is still open. The question is: Will you make room in your heart for Him today?

Don’t let this Christmas pass with no room in the inn of your heart. Don’t spend your life so full of lesser things that you miss the greatest gift ever offered. Realize your need. Recognize His worth. Receive His gift. Make room for Jesus—not just during the Christmas season, but for the rest of your life and throughout eternity.

There was no room in the inn. But there can be room in your heart. Will you open the door and let Him in?

Reflection Questions

1. If Jesus came to the “inn” of your heart today, what would He find? Is there room for Him, or is your life so full of other things that He’s crowded out?
2. Like the Israelites who wanted political deliverance instead of spiritual salvation, what are you asking God for that might be different from what you actually need?
3. What specific things have filled your heart that need to be removed to make room for Jesus? What would it look like practically to make Him your priority?
4. Have you truly invited Jesus into your life as Savior and Lord, or have you been too busy, too distracted, or too unsure to open the door to Him?

Prayer

Consider whether there is truly room in your heart for Jesus. Ask Him to show you what’s crowding Him out and to help you make Him your highest priority and greatest treasure.

If this devotional encouraged your heart today, would you consider sharing it with someone who could be blessed by it as well? You can also explore more encouragement in the related series below.
Salvation Devotional Series ->
Christmas Devotional Series ->